Shami Chakrabarti Hits Out At Boris Johnson After Supreme Court Verdict
24 September 2019, 16:07
"Kids on any council estate in the country have to respect the law, so why shouldn't Boris Johnson and his entitled, arrogant mates respect some of the highest courts in the land?" says Labour peer, Shami Chakrabarti.
Shami Chakrabarti told James O'Brien the Supreme Court outcome, which today ruled the prorogation of Parliament as unlawful, has "invigorated" the Labour conference and there have been "cheers all over Brighton."
The Labour peer said: "Everybody feels very positive about it and I think these 11 justices have done us a great service. They have upheld the hard won rights of millions of ordinary working people to be represented in their Parliament and not to be silenced.
"Boris Johnson and his chums have been called out on some appalling behaviour that they've been getting away with for too long. Nobody is above the law. That's a really good principle that's been upheld today."
James asked when Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn may bring a confidence vote against the Prime Minister.
"He's probably on the phone to other leaders of opposition parties. We can't go on like this with a Prime Minister who is an absolute disgrace and who has now been called out by the highest court in the land for illegally shutting down Parliament.
"Sometimes I can't even believe the words I'm speaking because this is not the sort of thing that happens in Britain," Chakrabarti said, "This is what Boris Johnson and his mates have been getting away with but no more."
She went on to say that the unanimity in the Supreme Court judges' votes is "incredibly important" and the Supreme Court head Lady Hale will have "wanted her colleagues to speak with one voice so they couldn't be picked off."
"Again, that's not the sort of thing that should happen in Britain. We teach our kids to respect the law, to obey orders from a magistrate's court.
That's what kids on any council estate in the country have to do so why shouldn't Boris Johnson and his entitled, arrogant mates respect some of the highest courts in the land?"
